BUBBLE BOOST

MPS SHIFT STANCE ON COVID PLAN

THERE may be some light at the end of the tunnel for North Queensland tourism with the State Government softening its stance on a proposed ‘travel bubble’.

Labor’s Townsville MP Scott Stewart has backed the move while Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk now says she was looking forward to reviewing the plan.

Townsville Enterprise Limited joined forces with Cairns, Whitsundays, Mackay and outback region tourism bodies to urge for the current restrictions to be reviewed before the school holidays.

The plan will enable North Queenslanders to travel up to 500km instead of the current 150km.

The call comes after the tourism body found the COVID-19 lockdown was costing the North Queensland economy more than $90 million each week. eek.

Yesterday, Ms Palaszczuk said on the face of it, the plan seemed “feasible”.

“I’ve asked them to submit a plan to the Government, and I’ll be able to get them a decision by the end of this month,” she said.

MP Scott Stewart joined the fight yesterday and even Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper, who hosed down the idea on Sunday, softened his stance.

Mr Stewart said he “wholeheartedly” supported the travel bubble to revitalise the region’s economy.

In a Facebook post, he said he helped set up a meeting between the Premier’s office and TEL last Friday and will be “making sure it (the proposal) is seriously looked at”.

“On a personal level, I wholeheartedly support relaxing restrictions to allow North Queenslanders to travel between Mackay and Cairns, at least in time for the school holidays,” Mr Stewart said.

“I will continue to ensure the case for easing restrictions across the North is heard at the highest levels.”

In a press statement later in the day he added the health and wellbeing of the community would be at the forefront of any decision.

In the same statement Mr Harper said: “Given the good work that we’ve done in North Queensland in particular it is not unreasonable to ask those questions.”

The Premier said the Government was still reviewing restrictions at the end of every month and she was more than happy to speak to North Queensland tourism operators about the plan.

“I look forward to seeing this plan,” she said.

“Sensible, measured steps is what we’re looking for.”

But Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill was critical of TEL’S decision to campaign before it had a detailed plan in place, despite saying there was evidence to support a travel bubble.

“They need to come up with a plan and my advice to them is they should have had that plan before they went public because the question everyone’s asking is ‘so how are you going to do that?’,” she said.

“Personally, and I’ve requested this of TEL, have it looked at and assessed independently to ensure firstly they have covered off everything and secondly the arguments they’re using are valid points that the Chief Health Officer can take into account.”

Cr Hill said there was data to support the idea but it had to executed correctly.

Mundingburra MP Coralee O’rourke agreed with the Mayor, saying a detailed plan was an important step.

“The State Government’s road map provides a clear path forward but we are continually reviewing the situation throughout the state,” she said.

“It’s great that North Queensland’s tourism representatives are able to put their plan to the Premier and Chief Health Officer.”